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Okowa sets to borrow N12b to curry Delta state pensioners’ votes

by Leading Reporters February 21, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

Despite public outcry over incessant loans by the outgoing Governor of Delta State, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta state is going to be plunged further with another N12billion loan, according to an insider information.

The new loans which will soon be presented to the State House of Assembly for approval, according to a source, is targeted to be used to pay pensioners, a move many believe is to curry the votes of Delta State pensioners.

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa is the running mate of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who is currently vying to be elected Nigeria President under the People’s Democratic Party.

Since the emergence of Governor Okowa as Atiku’s running mate, the state government under him has resorted to untamed borrowing.

Okowa’s critics believe that the hundreds of billions of Naira incessantly borrowed may have been for campaign purposes.

Delta State is one if the richest oil producing states. Despite these fortunes, and the massive inflow of funds from the Federal Government and other sources, the state is emerging as one of the most indebted states in Nigeria.

The borrowing has recently peaked, and many Deltans are calling on banks and other borrowing institutions to refrain extending further loans to the state.

February 21, 2023 0 comments

LeadingReporters New National Assembly Clerk understands the moral dimension of leadership

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National Assembly Clerk understands the moral dimension of leadership – Group

by Leading Reporters February 21, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

A civil society organization, ProJustice and Development Observers Initiative has described the new
clerk of the National Assembly, Mr. Magaji Tambuwal as a patriotic Nigerian who understands the moral
dimension of leadership in service delivery.

In a goodwill message by ProJustice, signed by Trustee Compliance, Light Shedrack on behalf of the
trustees, Mr Shedrack asserted that the time to allow people who understand the virtues of patriotism,
accountability, morality and hard work to fill strategic offices and government positions has come.

He described Mr Tambuwal as a fine gentleman who places service to nationhood and humanity above self.
“As an organization, we promote and encourage morality in leadership, accountability, and patriotism
among those who hold positions of trust on behalf of Nigerian people and those in their private
undertakings. We track records of public officeholders and place them on the principles that make great
nations.

Mr. Tambuwal distinguishes himself on these virtues. “Much as we do not praise-sing for anyone,

it is imperative that we remind Nigerians that amidst
prevailing corruption and lack of patriotism, there are countless Nigerians who still choose to always do
right and thus stand out from the crowd.

Mr. Tambuwal is one of such Nigerians who has placed service
to nationhood and humanity above self. We found him selfless, accountable, patriotic, resilient and
always ready to give an account of his stewardship.

The group encouraged the new clerk to stand for what is good and fair at all times, and not to succumb
to pressures that may sway him from the strong morals he is perennially reputed for.

February 21, 2023 0 comments

Leading Reporters Tinubu gives N25m “victory expenses’’ to all candidates contesting under APC

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Breaking: Tinubu gives N25m “victory expenses’’ to all candidates contesting under APC

by Leading Reporters February 19, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress APC, in what seems like a last-minute desperate move to get the support of his party men across the board is currently transferring the sum of N25million each to party members seeking elective positions under APC.

The first phase of the financial largesse was transferred to those contesting for the Senate and the Federal House of Assembly. Also, those contesting for the state houses of assembly were not left out, according to a discreet source who would not want his name in print.

The largesse, according to the source was also extended to serving senators and members of the Federal House of Assembly who are not returning to the National Assembly.

While N25million was transferred to candidates contesting for the Senate and the Federal House of Assembly, contestants for state houses of assembly were gifted N20 million in what is called “Party Victory Support Fund”.

The fund transfer which commenced on Friday, the 17^th of February was said to have followed an earlier request for account numbers of all APC contestants. The Money-For-Support fund is being coordinated by Tinubu close associates, including Hon. James Abiodun Faleke.

The source who claimed to have received his share of the fund revealed that Tinubu is using his associates’ accounts to make the transfers to avoid traces. He said that the earlier plan was to give them cash, but the current stand of the Federal Government on Naira redesign frustrated the plan, hence the transfers to the beneficiary accounts.

When asked if he would vote and mobilize votes for Ahmed Bola Tinubu as a way of returning the favour given him by Tinubu, our source said that Tinubu made him an irresistible offer and there is nothing binding them that it must translate to voting for him or mobilizing for vote for him.

“He is just being generous. We were told it was to support and cushion the cash-scarcity effect. I am not bound by anything to vote for him”. The source said.

February 19, 2023 0 comments

Headlines Opinion

APC’s dilemma on election eve

by Leading Reporters February 19, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

By Tonnie Iredia

Too many things have since shown that in truth, there is not much difference between our ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its biggest rival, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP). Both parties have a few decent members but majority are political traders. When in power, the two parties behave exactly the same way. To start with, whereas both parties pretend that the welfare of the people matters to them, they do little or nothing to cover the pretence. Whenever an election is approaching, they create scenarios that automatically frustrate a credible contest thereby retaining office while claiming to have come in through the popular will of the people. But events have shown that the strategy has its limits. On its part, the PDP managed to hold-on for 16 years (1999-2007); but whether the APC will last beyond 8 years is becoming doubtful.

In 2015, everyone saw through the gimmicks of the ruling PDP as it struggled to postpone elections to make room for vote buying and other electoral manipulations when it became evident that it no longer enjoyed the confidence of voters. The change propaganda which thereafter brought the then opposition APC to power virtually waned even before its first term ended. First, the party showed its nervousness over the use of the Card Reader – a technological device which made rigging tedious. Hiding under the judicial ruling that the device was unknown to law, the APC made everyone to discountenance the amendment to the Electoral Act in 2015 which had recognised devices like Card Reader. From then on, the party ensured that a fresh amendment to regularize the situation was not signed into law for the 2019 elections. Although the party was declared winner of that year’s elections, some people had doubts that the victory was real following the server controversy that preceded the declaration of results.

Four years later, it has become quite clear that the APC is in trouble especially in its current atomistic state in which it is now at war with itself on a daily basis. Indeed, the party has become the greatest opposition to its own policies and leadership. Evidence that the APC was visibly scared about its chances of reelection in 2023 was mostly seen in its desperation to frustrate efforts at instituting the electronic transmission of election results – which had become a global reality. The attempt to procure officials of the National Communication Commission (NCC) to virtually commit perjury in their testimony before the legislature on the subject of electoral technology was ridiculed by the public. The electorate similarly rejected the legislature’s kangaroo voting against the innovation making it easy for the new Electoral Act 2022 to be passed along with a number of anti-rigging clauses. Apart from a few party members who remained popular in their constituencies, the ruling party has since been on edge moving from one error to another.

The new Electoral Act did well in the steps it took to sanitize party primaries, even though the ruling party turned out to be the leading culprit in electoral chicanery and the imposition of candidates. Luckily for them, for some inexplicable reasons such as the need to reduce cases in courts, the judiciary was arm twisted to allow for party supremacy in which a party’s nomination needn’t be controverted. Nigerians are however aware of the established canon that as administrative bodies, activities of political parties ought to be subjected to judicial review. This is more so as the Electoral Act had stipulated what must be done or not done to attain credible primaries. In the end, the APC subverted such guidelines only to return to the inglorious past in which a party can elect flag bearers from among party members who did not take part in the primaries and as such could not be described as aspirants. Based on the trend, can we pretend that we are on the way to free and fair elections?

In a democracy, it is the victorious party in an election that forms government; which makes the ruling party to be powerful. In Nigeria, they are not only powerful, they act quite often with impunity. The Goodluck Jonathan-led PDP government had attempted in its days in office to appoint politically tainted persons into the Electoral Commission that is world-wide known as non-partisan. Such nominees were however dropped as a result of public outcry, but the APC did not take cognizance of public outcry. So, with the recent appointment of suspected party loyalists into INEC that is supposed to be an impartial umpire, the public could not have been unaware that the objective was to use such officials to rig the 2023 general elections. This became yet another evidence that the ruling party had lost self confidence that it could win a free and fair contest. Put differently, the APC has inadvertently exposed its fear that it is at the verge of losing public support having failed to perform to public expectation. This has made the ruling party to be a suspect in every policy it enunciates towards the polls – a good example being the new naira programme.

But perhaps the best example of the dilemma of a ruling party on the eve election manifests in the unusual hostility of APC’s leading members towards President Muhammadu Buhari who was himself elected into office through the party’s banner. The severity of the attacks on Buhari’s new naira programme notwithstanding, Nigerians know that the president is the only APC member on ground today who believes in a free, fair and credible contest next Saturday. All others are locked up in schemes to gain political leverage and foreclose a level playing ground for the coming elections. Many Nigerians are persuaded that those engaged in court cases to stop the president’s plan are not doing so to alleviate public suffering as they claim, rather the goal is to buy votes – a popular method by which many elections were ‘won’ in Nigeria. Painfully, the Nigerian elites are grandstanding and eloquently displaying knowledge every evening on national television on the subject of the rule of law. Those media ‘shows’ are redundant because they have not changed the suffering of the people. If only the poor among us can get the N200 Buhari canvassed, the situation would drastically improve.

The on-going debate on the rule of law appears to have successfully diverted attention from the growing political violence in Lagos and some other cities in Nigeria. A few days ago, Usman Alkali Baba, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) did what his predecessors used to do close to elections. He rolled out law enforcement arrangements designed to curtail violence. He even listed all the newly procured modern arms and other facilities to upgrade the police. We must tell him and quickly too that the reading of such riot acts is not new and that we remain scared by daily reports of political attacks about which the police are usually silent. In Lagos, there was the report of a local leader in a community aided by another person described as SSG who allegedly summoned and threatened citizens with eviction if they failed to vote for a particular party. The promise by the police to organize what was described as a forensic analysis of the report is yet to see the light of day.

The week before, members of a political party that held a well-advertised rally at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos were crudely attacked. Where was the police? If half of the people are attacked and scared away from voting which voters would the police guard on voting day with its advertised modern facilities and what evidence is there that the police are not unwittingly supporting one set of politicians against another? If so, what is all the fuss about some jaundiced rule of law principles? Somebody should help us tell our elites that as fundamental as the rule of law is, they are able to partake in the television see debates on it because it is Banks and not the Supreme Court that frustrated citizens attacked. Another well-meaning speaker should tell them that continued suffering of Nigerians cannot stop illegal contraptions such as the Interim National Government and Military rule that we all seem to deprecate

February 19, 2023

February 19, 2023 0 comments

Headlines Opinion

Buhari’s Infrastructural Development: At What Cost and Whose Expense?

by Leading Reporters February 19, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

Nigeria has suffered perennial infrastructural deficiency. From bad road to a near comatose rail transport system. Former President Goodluck Jonathan started what looked like a revolution in the rail sector. When President Muhammadu Buhari took over the mantle of leadership in 2015, He placed priority on infrastructural development, with a special interest in the railway, airport and road sectors. Under his administration, the transport sector (Road, rail and airport) gulped more loans than every other sector and every other government since the advent of the current democratic experience.

There are currently ongoing road projects across many parts of Nigeria. There is as well the 2nd Niger Bridge within the South East axis. There are massive road constructions within the Southern and Northern axis in Nigeria. As beautiful as all these seem, the question Nigerians have failed to ask is the cost of borrowing to fund these projects. Are these loans worthwhile? Are they deployed for the same purpose for which they borrowed? What are the terms and conditions of these loans? What are the sovereign collateral and guarantees? Are the projects for which they were borrowed feasible to bring enough returns to repay these loans? What are the qualities and life spans of these infrastructures that we are obtaining loans for? What effect do these untamed loans have on the economy at least within the medium and long terms? These are questions every patriotic Nigeria should genuinely ask.

Unlike under previous governments when construction giant like Julius Berger was majorly patronized by the Federal Government, China construction companies are currently dominating construction projects in Nigeria – from rail to road, from airport to other infrastructures. The reason for this shift is not far-fetched. Most of the funding for these infrastructures is a “China Loan”. China would not avail of a loan that would benefit other construction companies. Thus, Chinese Government-owned companies are having a field day in the construction sector in Nigeria.

President Buhari is currently the Nigeria President with the highest loan-take. While many praise him for several infrastructural projects across Nigeria, others hold the view that the president’s penchant for loans may plunge Nigeria into collecting loans that may never easily be paid back. China’s loan largesse is not limited to Nigeria. Report has it that so many other countries have stretched to China for loans, nay, for more loans. Loans are collected with collateral and other forms of securities and guarantees. Nigerians see roads and other infrastructures, but most Nigerians do not know the terms under which those loans were given to Nigeria.

President Buhari APC-led government does not seem to understand jack about wealth creation or how the abundant human and natural resources Nigeria has been endowed with could be optimized for national growth and development. The floral and faunas, the enchanting landscapes and rocks in the North Central region, the green allures of the South-South lands that stretch from land to sea, including the bodies of water that dot up that region, the historical monuments that could create research and historical tourism among countless other touristic elements lay waste without any efforts at exploring and exploiting them as major revenue earner. What about the arable land that stretches from North to South? Despite claims of food sufficiency, Nigeria still imports most of the food it consumes. Where locally-made foods are available, the prices tower higher than the reach of an average Nigerian. Truly, things have fallen apart and all thanks to clueless leadership that have continued to plague Nigeria since her independence.

President Muhammadu Buhari is an expert in negotiating and collecting loans. His advisers seem to always urge him on. Former Minister of Transport, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi stood out as one of President Buhari’s ministers who saw China loan as the be-all and did not seem to remember that loans are loans and are repayable. President Buhari believes the only way he could out-perform his predecessors is by collecting more and more loans for infrastructures. Today in APC, infrastructural development have become a campaign slogan. They tell Nigeria to embrace roads, and rails that have been built for them. They however fail to tell Nigerians that their future have been sold for loans.

One of the sectors that has engulfed many loans is the railway facility. Amaechi has severally and shamelessly portrayed the inevitability of loans for more rail tracks, including running a rail track from Nigeria to the Republic of Niger at no cost to the government and the people of the Republic of Niger. But any right-thinking Nigeria knows that the rail sector is not viable enough to repay the massive loan that has so far been obtained from China. I do not think that the proceeds from rail transport will ever be enough to run the overhead costs, let alone repay the loans collected to build them.

Only time will tell the damage these suspicious loans have dealt to the economy of Nigeria. Only time may prove that these loans and the arrangement behind them were laden with corruption, and manipulation for purpose of self-aggrandizement. Some of these loans were taken to be stolen. Time will tell.

But do these loans have a long-term effect on the collective fortune of Nigeria and Nigerians? It does. A disastrous effect. Creative leaders are not those who resort to loans to bridge infrastructural deficiencies. But they are people who optimize resources for growth and development. Creative leadership provides an enabling environment that attracts the private sector to take infrastructural development. What President Muhammadu Buhari, his aides and ministers have succeeded in doing in the name of infrastructural development is simply mortgaging the future of Nigerians, including an unborn generation. I am not enthused by several roads, rails and bridges built with Chinese loans, I am rather worried that Nigerians will pay dearly for the greed of a few who sold out this country by collecting loans for which their repayments do not look feasible. …. To be continued.

Light I. Shedrack is a communication strategist, public issues analyst and an SME ideation specialist. He writes from Abuja and can be reached via lightsheddie26@gmail.com

February 19, 2023 0 comments

Leading Reporters A TALE OF THE FRSC LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

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THREE AND HALF DECADES OF ENTRENCHING SAFETY ON NIGERIAN ROADS: A TALE OF THE FRSC LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE – BISI KAZEEM

by Leading Reporters February 19, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

Nigeria is one of the few African countries that has leveraged on some road safety principles and have recorded remarkable progress in road safety administration and management despite a ‘gloomy’ beginning. The road safety situation in Nigeria was so deplorable that the World Health Organisation once described the country as ‘worst in the world to travel on’ only next to Ethiopia.

That narrative changed through government’s efforts by establishing the Federal Road Safety Commission as the Lead Agency to guarantee safety on every centimetre of Nigeria’s expansive road network of 204,000km. This establishment was done ten years prior to United Nations recommendation for all member states to establish agencies directly situated under the central government for ease of unfettered operation.

The vision behind the establishment of the Federal Road Safety Corps which is to eradicate Road Traffic Crashes on Nigeria roads is based on the premise that road crashes are caused and highly preventable. Over the last three decades or more, and arising from the above statistics of deaths, injuries and damage to properties, can Nigerians confidently posit that the Federal Road Safety Corps has made policies and embarked upon programmes and activities that are in harmony and consistent with global best practices on Road Traffic Administration and Safety Management? Can we possibly say that the paramilitary outfit has achieved its statutory mandate of eradicating Road Traffic Crashes on Nigerian roads? Can the FRSC be said to have educated the motoring public enough? Have they been able to entrench safe road use culture into drivers in Nigeria? Answers to these and many more questions on Road Safety will give us a sense of direction as to whether or not the 18 February, 1988 proclamation by the Military administration of President Ibrahim Babangida has actually saved the lives it was established to save.

Since coming on board, the Federal Road Safety Corps has as a matter of fact blossomed on all sides through strategic innovations and sheer resilience of it’s personnel, into one of the most professionally inclined and reputable national institution; and of course, a global brand and an exemplar of best road safety operations and practices in Africa.

Beginning from 18 February, 1988 when the Corps commenced full operational activities geared towards eradicating road traffic crashes, the Federal Road Safety Corps has brought down annual record of crashes from over Forty Thousand crashes per year to below Five Thousand at the moment.

The Corps is and will always remain the frontline agency in traffic regulations in Nigeria. Being the lead government agency for traffic superintendent and guardianship and evolving from a humble beginning with it’s technical and management headquarters located at no 9 Oshuntokun Street, Bodija Ibadan, Oyo State and the outpost and liason office located in three story building in Wuse zone 2, Abuja with just a dozen Staff and 200 Youth Corps Members operating from 6 locations and striving to get it’s feet, to transforming into a mega force amongst paramilitary organisations in Nigeria with thousands of formations scattered across the 774 local governments in the country.

Through unprecedented innovations in information and communication technology and effective operational tools, FRSC has grown to become a reference point in excellent service delivery in Nigeria; the benchmark for road safety management and administration in Africa and an exemplar of global best practices in it’s operations.

The Corps has also been well known in terms of it’s origin and trajectory which has the imprimatur of Africa’s first Nobel Laureate for Literature, Prof Woke Soyinka, who made it a project and agency to behold. From the pioneer Corps Marshal, Dr. Olu Agunloye to Chief Osita Chidoka all of whom were appointed from the civil population, the Corps witnessed a formidable foundation laying processes that has provoked effectiveness, efficiency and pragmatism in road safety administration in Nigeria. The icing on the cake on these developmental stride came with the appointment of career Staff as Corps Marshal from Boboye Oyeyemi to the present Corps Marshal, Dauda Ali Biu whose innate experience and expertise has and is still giving the Corps the needed push necessary for it to stay atop.

The luscious development is that in its thirty five years as lead agency in traffic and safety management, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has recorded tremendous achievements in the area of Traffic Engineering, Road Safety Administration, Traffic Management, rescue operation,changing bad road use behaviour and Crash reduction. The road traffic management Agency achieved this glorious feat, through a chain of pragmatic leadership, sagacity of different generations of management, ingenuity of its Policy formulators and the dexterity of the handlers of policy implementation.

These leaders have entrenched within the Corps, a wealthy culture of professionalism and excellence in service delivery, which has positioned it as the lead agency in road safety management and traffic administration, with a passionate and enduring commitment to creating a safer motoring environment that is unequalled in the African sub-region. This unquenchable commitment asserts undue pressure on the Corps; thereby propelling it to more than ever before, continue to strengthen its strategies, programmes, knowledge and processes, capable of surmounting all challenges militating against effective and efficient administration of safety in Nigeria.

Just as stated in previous publications, it is most imperative to bring to the fore that beginning from the second decade of the Corps’ existence, frantic efforts have been put in place to expand both the internal and external horizons of the Corps with more robust collaborations on all fronts that has led to a paradigm shift in road safety administration, from Traditional approach to Safe Systems Approach.

Through the use of state of the art Information Technology facilities; the Corps has been able to develop transformational initiatives focused on People, Processes and Technology (PPT) that is why today not only does it staff pride as the most disciplined, but the Corps stands as the best Information Technology (IT) driven organization in Nigeria with its robust data base and over 95 percentage digitalized administrative and operational procedures.

The current leadership of the Federal Road Safety Corps, headed by Dauda Ali Biu came on board in December, 2022 and from inception, the administration took bold steps towards the development of a vigorous framework for enhancing safe motoring environment in Nigeria. This strategic initiative has been the bedrock for the new innovations that have become ostensible in road safety administration and traffic Management in broad-spectrum. The laid foundation is premised on the resolve to place great attention to all the administrative variables that could enhance productivity, effectiveness and efficiency in the work process.

Part of these include, but not limited to improvement in equipment and other work tools such as the procurement of tow trucks for clearance of obstructions, patrol motorbikes, and patrol vehicles, (hilux), ambulances, and staff buses to convey staff to their workplace; employee motivation through improved welfare, and massive promotion of Officers and men which has been widely applauded by members of the FRSC nationwide; purposeful collaboration with all stakeholders such as transport stakeholders, media stakeholders, interagency collaboration, and civil society organizations. His administration is also upholding discipline in all areas.

With the strategies and tactics deployed for decisive continuity and innovation which the Corps has applied in the conduct of its affairs in the last few months, it is given that incredible improvements have been made in road safety management in Nigeria today; especially arising from the continuous involvement of staff in the process of strategy building and developments in operational front which is very significant and has stimulated buy-in in all policy areas.

The Corps has put in place an unambiguous vision and mission projections designed to guide its affairs on short, medium and long term endeavours.

BISI KAZEEM ,
FRSC’S CORPS PUBLIC EDUCATION OFFICER

February 19, 2023 0 comments

Opinion

Arase as PSC Chairman and Babawale’s unfounded fear

by Leading Reporters February 16, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

At this time and season of our national development, to pay particular interest to a recent letter purportedly written by the Convener, The Think-Tinubu Initiative, 3TI and member of the Policy, Research and Strategy Committee of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, Omogbolahan L.A. Babawale cannot be a priority to genuine lovers of our beloved country and democracy.

In a manner suggesting that he must have written out of panic and unfounded fear, may be for partisan reasons, Babawale must have been so confused as to be lost to the difference between a call to national service as distinctly far from a call to serve overly partisan interest.

In the letter addressed to his Party’s National Chairman and titled: THERE MAY BE FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN, LET EVERY LEG RUN, the writer insinuated that the appointment of former Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase whom he alleged is a card carrying member of “the opposition PDP,” as Chairman of the Police Service Commission, PSC would undermine the stakes of the ruling APC in the forthcoming polls.

As laughable as it is too, Babawale, perhaps out of ignorance or deliberate mischief warned of a “possible plot of internal sabotage against the Party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima Mustapha” as the appointment of the new Chairman of the PSC will open the floodgate of posting and reposting of Police Commissioners to sooth his whims and caprices for some political gains.

Let’s put the matter straight to the rather diabolical position of Babawale and many of his cohorts.

Contrary to what Babawale will make his fellow ignoramuses believe, IGP Arase‘s father hails from Benin and his beloved mum is from Eme-Ora, both from Edo State and not Agenebode as told by Babawale.

Should the Babawales of this clime care to know, the mandate of the PSC is to ensure fairness, equity and justice in the appointment, promotion and discipline of officers in line with Federal Character principle.

Furthermore, Babawale must be told that the IGP is in charge of the operational arm of Nigeria Police Force and deployment of Commissioners of Police to various State Commands.

Simply put, Babawale’s fear is misplaced as all relevant and extant laws of the land carefully highlight the separation of powers between PSC, NPF and the Ministry of Police Affairs in line with the new Police Act 2020 for effective policing of the populace.

A very short recourse to the country’s political cum public service history would have informed the Babawales of this world that Nigeria’s former Director General of the Directorate of State Security, Lawal Daura was Director of Security, APCPCC in 2014. He was later appointed DGSS. Also, Mrs Lauretta Onochie is a renowned card carrying member of APC who was nominated as National Commissioner, INEC and Chairman, NDDC Board at various times, even though she was turned down by the Senate. There are many of such instances.

Most importantly, Babawale shot himself in the foot when he exposed the real real behind his panic letter when he stated inter alia: “The Presidency did not see any non-partisan retired police officer, if not anyone with soft spot for the APC to appoint except a known PDP bigwig. I thought President Muhammadu Buhari said he wanted to leave a lasting legacy on electoral process. Is it by appointing a PDP diehard this can be achieved? Fingers crossed!”

It is tragic that at a time progressive-minded Nigerians are exploring ways and means to jettison the politicisation of every aspect of our national life, Babawale chose to raise an alarm over nothing untoward. If anything at all, his panic letter to the APC Chairman which was copied to all APC PCC members is and remains a figment of his partisan political mindset and self-indicting. It underscores an obvious plot of his Party to employ some underhand tactics to rig their way at the polls. Unfortunately, our electoral process has been so improved upon that the BVAS will not allow for any such plot to succeed.

May be Babawale can reflect on the following worthy commendations by fellow Nigerians following the announcement and further clearance of Arase for the PSC job. The Civil Society Organisation in a statement saying why they must endorse Arase for the job said: “as IGP, he set up the Complaints Response Unit (CRU) which is an improvement on existing public complaints mechanisms by introducing the use of technology and expanding the platforms through which members of the public could send complaints of police misconduct and receive timely feedback.

“Succeeding IGPs have not given the CRU the support it received under Arase which made it work effectively and efficiently then. The CRU has a committed and professional minded leadership but lacks police management support.

“Arase, upon assuming office as IGP, espoused the vision of modern and democratic policing that is transparent, responsible, accountable and respectful of human rights.

“He initiated the very first set of measures to check police brutality, especially the excesses of SARS. He split SARS into 2 units with one to handle arrest and the other to handle investigation.

“But most of his initiatives and efforts to entrench a culture of discipline and accountability were not sustained by his successors

“We are aware of how his efforts to rein in some notorious SARS commanders against whom were frequent and high numbers of complaints were frustrated by political interference.

Continuing, they said, “We will support Arase to succeed hoping that under him, the urgently needed reforms of the PSC which started last year with a bill to review the establishment Act will be pushed through under his leadership.

“These reforms revolve around leadership qualification and appointment procedure, strengthening the investigative powers and competences of the PSC and streamlining the mandate of the PSC with regards to police recruitment and appointment, discipline and promotion.”

In congratulating President Buhari for Arase’s appointment and consequent clearance by the Senate, the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF said: “given the sterling career profile, and wealth of experience, of the former Inspector General of Police, and his commitment to National stability and peace, it is certain that his appointment will be immensely beneficial to the Nigeria Police Force, in particular, and the Country, in general.

“PANDEF notes that Arase has, over the years, established himself as a diligent, dedicated, and patriotic Nigerian.

“While in the Police Service, Dr. Solomon Arase served in various capacities, including Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State and was head of the topmost intelligence gathering unit of the Nigeria Police – the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau, as Assistant Inspector-General, and, later, DIG, before he was appointed Inspector-General of Police, in April 2015.

“And, even after he retired from the Police Service, in 2016, Dr. Solomon Arase continued to bestow his knowledge and experience to the Force, and the Nation, in various capacities.

A final word to Babawale and his gang: let the partisan politicians face their politics and leave the new PSC Chairman alone. After all, President Muhammadu Buhari in all his wisdom and patriotic disposition nominated Arase, the Senate confirmed him as the PSC Chairman; and he is ready, able and willing to work for the greater glory of Nigeria.

February 16, 2023 0 comments

Headlines

President Buhari has extended the validity of the old N200 notes till April 10, 2023.

by Leading Reporters February 16, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

President Muhammadu Buhari orders CBN to release the old N200 note into circulation until April 10, 2023, when it will stop being legal tender. He says Nigerians should return all old N1,000 and N500 to the bank.

The president announced this in a national broadcast on Thursday Monday.

“I am addressing you as your democratically elected president to sympathise with you over the hardship being experienced as a result of the naira redesign policy.”

“To further ease the supply pressures particularly to our citizens, I have given approval to the CBN that the old N200 bank notes be released back into circulation and that it should also be allowed to circulate as legal tender with the new N200, N500, and N1000 banknotes for 60 days from February 10, 2023 to April 10 2023 when the old N200 notes ceases to be legal tender.”

“17. In line with Section 20(3) of the CBN Act 2007, all existing old N1000 and N500 notes remain redeemable at the CBN and designated points.
“Considering the health of our economy and the legacy we must bequeath to the next administration and future generations of Nigerians, I admonish every citizen to strive harder to make their deposits by taking advantage of the platforms and windows being provided by the CBN.”

Nigerians have been battling with the scarcity of new naira notes— a development that has led to queues at banking halls, and automated teller machine (ATM) points.

There have been protests in some parts of the country due to the scarcity of new naira notes.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had given a deadline of January 31 for the use of old naira notes — but it extended it to February 10.

On February 8, the supreme court temporarily restrained the federal government from banning the use of the old naira notes from February 10, 2023, pending the hearing of the matter on February 15.

Despite the court’s order, Emefiele insisted on the deadline.

The stance of the CBN governor has triggered confusion as filling stations, supermarkets, and other business owners have continued to reject the old naira notes.

On Wednesday, there were protests across the country as banks were destroyed while security operatives reportedly gunned down some persons in Edo State.

Among states were there was crisis are Oyo, Ondo, Kwara, Edo, Benue and Delta.

There are indications that the president would address the issue of the naira scarcity in his speech to Nigerians as against statements issued by his media team.

The president usually address the nation on occasions like Independence Day, Democracy Day, and a few others.

February 16, 2023 0 comments

Headlines

ABIA: Who Replace Prof Ikonne’s as Abia Guber Candidate?

by Leading Reporters January 25, 2023

written by Leading Reporters

Who the contenders and pretenders are, among PDP hawks seeking to replace Uche Ikonne as Abia PDP Governorship candidate

Even before the admission last week by Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu that Abia State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship candidate Professor Uche Ikonne, was down with an ailment that has kept him out of public view, the news of the jostle for his replacement was already abuzz in the state.

Who would be a substitute for Ikonne as the PDP governorship candidate in the March Governorship election if indeed the speculation is right that there is a groundswell of campaign in search of a new governorship candidate?

One opinion held the view the governor was having issues asking Ikonne to step down considering the implications of going to the polls with an absentee governorship candidate; another said it was in order as far as the electoral act and the constitution have no issues with that. In fact, a former governor of the state was in detention when he was declared winner of the contest.

January 25, 2023 0 comments